Jacob Zuma’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu said the former president’s criminal trial would not proceed soon, because he would again ask for the removal of state prosecutor Billy Downer
The former president came to court with ‘unclean hands’, a full bench found
It is an abuse process designed to lay the ground for the next, counsel for the arms deal corruption prosecutor told the Pietermaritzburg high court
The prosecuting authority is expecting more attacks on prosecutors as more state capture cases are enrolled
Advocate Andrew Breitenbach, appearing for parliament, said the message he received did not advantage his client and was no cause to suspend the impeachment inquiry against the public protector
Public protector’s counsel said nothing in the law prohibited her from filing another rescission application
The public protector is attempting to use an alleged leak on the rescission decision to undermine the ruling – and the highest court in the land
Busisiwe Mkhwebane wants the process halted pending an investigation she has demanded the constitutional court conducts into an obscure text message — and is trying to dictate the terms of it
The embattled public protector has also again petitioned the constitutional court on the subject of the message, which she claims suggest the outcome of her rescission application was leaked
But observers said the damage was done, delaying impeachment proceedings and providing more ammunition for political attack on the apex court
The high court postponed the public protector’s bid to stem her suspension after a text message that would suggest, if legitimate, that constitutional court judges were leaking decisions
Jacob Zuma has laid charges claiming that Billy Downer, and the NPA, have irredeemably tainted the arms deal corruption charges that have haunted him since 2005
Counsel argued the National Assembly had not delegated its power on weighing if there were grounds to remove the public protector, but canvassed advice